The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-09-15
THE STEAMSHIP MUDDLE.

runs from New York to Jacksonville,
Fla, Charleston being a kind Of way
station. Now that cotton is coming in
freely, the cotton shippers found that
they could only get such freight room as
was not taken in Jacksonville, 80 meet.
ing Of the exchange was called and a
committee appointed to lay a complaint
before the Clydes. In answer, the Clydes
directed their agent to raise the rate On
cotton from Charleston about 33 cents per
bale. It is needless to say that this made
>the cotton men mad. They at once
appointed an agent to go to New York
and offer inducements for the establish.
ment Of q new line Of steamers.
THE MOST SERIOUS BLOW.
On the top Of these two sensations
comes the announcement that the North.
eastern Railroad has been leased to the
Wilmington and Weldon Railroad.
There is a disposition on the part of the
Coast Line people to belittle the trans.
action; but there can be no doubt but
that it is the most staggering blow that
has been dealt to this city in years.
The Northeastern Railroad runs through
the garden spot Of South Carolina--the
rich Pee Dee section. Disguise it as
they may, the lease means the loss to
Charleston of over 100000 bales of cotton
year.
REFLECTIONS.
+ Is this not enough to stagger city
that has been afflicted as this old city
has been2 For pure, unadulterated bad
luck, Charleston is as prominent as she is
for standing up under repeated misfor-
tunes. Almost the entire city debt of
81, ,050, 900 was incurred in bonds issued
for the building OF railroads in the State,
which were expected to benefit Charles.
ton, and all these railroads are now run
;antagonistic to Charleston's interest.
One by one the roads leading to the
interior have passed out Of control of the
city. Opportunities were offered to the
moneyed men Of the city to obtain the
control of these roads, but they declined.
So that now the city is actually strug-
Cling for existence.
/ a good many people here are disposed
to lay the blame for this state of affairs
where it belongs. on the heads of the
people of Charleston themselves, and q
review of the facts will probably bear
them ont.
Its an indisputable fact that there is
no unanimity of opinion here on matters
affecting the interests of the city. A
writer in the Neaos and Courier to-day
asserts positively that the reason Will
mington took 80 many bales of cotton
from Charleston last year and is likely to
take more this year is because the Will
mington cotton buyers send agents to the
interior towns in the State and the
Charleston cotton buyers do not.
Another writer suggests that if
Charleston wants another steamship line
to New York and thinks it will pay, the
best way to get the line is tosubscribe
half the capital stock and then send an
agent to New York. And yet ii is doubt.
full if $4,000 could be raised here for
the purpose. Against this it may be
mentioned that at least s1,0O0,0O0 of
Charleston capital has been invested DUR
ing the last year in Alabama.
Another appalling fact that stares usin
the face is that very large proportion
Of the young men of the city are emf.
grating. Within the past twelve months
over 100 ofthe brightest and best young
men of Chs :leston have left the city and
settled elsewhere; and strange to say,
nearly all of them are prospecting. If
the emigration continues much longer
there will be very few Of the rising gen.
Grafton left here. Why do they go?
I asked the question Of young man
who lately left here for Alabama. If /
should mention bis name it would be
recognized by nine.tenths Of the people
of Columbia as that of 8 man who has
figured prominently in almost every
public event in Charleston for the past
twelve or thirteen years. I am going, he
said, because Charleston is no place for
q young man to thrive. We have no
show here. Then he recited to me
dozen instances where bright, active, in.
telligent youths had vainly striven to
make living in their native city, and
who, after giving up, had gone abroad
and prospered. His own experience is
sufficient. he had been connected in q
fduciary character land on starvation
wsges) with large moneyed concern.
For twelve years he had been depositipg
in one bank here money aggregating
$4,000 a year. Recently he wanted to
borrow few hundred dollars, and natu-
rally went to the bank that he had been
dealing with for 80 many years. He
offered good endorser. He was him
self known as man of strict integrity,
sober, diligent, and entirely reliable.
He was refused the loan. And yet the
same bank has lost more money by the
dishonesty Of unknown spectators than
all the other banks combined, perhaps.
Whenever there is a shortage or fail.
nre, OF q defalcation or any thing Of the
kind in the city, everybody at once asks